How A 19th Century Farmer Accidentally Created The Desert Of Maine
In the midst of rich New England farming land, a “desert” was created due a lack of agricultural knowledge by the farmer who once owned it
The State of Maine is considered an absolute jewel of not only New England but also the United States. With a terrain that veers between rolling hills and forests and many miles of beautiful coastline along the Atlantic Ocean, there are few places in the country that can offer such a lush and varied atmosphere. Although small, there is also the roughly 40-acre Desert of Maine, which exists in the midst of all this beauty all because of a 19th century farming family’s lack of agricultural knowledge.
In 1797, William Tuttle bought 300 acres of prime farmland in Freeport, Maine (The home of retail giant L.L. Bean). Initially, he and his family raised cattle and grew a variety of crops. Over time, the operation expanded to include the raising of sheep; allowing them to take over pastureland fully. While things worked for a while, the Tuttles seemingly lacked the knowledge of the importance of rotating crops and preventing animals from clear grazing an area. This led to nutrients dissipating from the ground and the sheep pulling up vegetation by the roots.
